http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27387616 Leicester City: Billionaire owner 'will spend £180m' to make top five Newly-promoted Leicester City's owner wants a top-five finish in the Premier League within three years - and will spend the money needed to get there. The Championship title winners have returned to the top flight after a decade-long absence. Billionaire Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha outlined the club's next steps to reporters in Bangkok. He said: "It will take a huge amount of money, possibly 10bn Thai Baht (£180m), to get there. That doesn't put us off." Srivaddhanaprabha added: "I am asking for three years, and we'll be there. "We won't take the huge leap to challenge the league's top five clubs immediately. "Do we have a chance to beat them? Yes, we have, but I think we need to establish our foothold in the league first and then we think about our next step. Nigel Pearson's side collected 102 points on their way to landing the Championship title. And the manager share's his chairman's optimism. "The important thing is we're going with a belief that we can achieve," he said after showing off the Championship trophy to fans in the Thai capital. "It's important we continue to improve everything about ourselves. So, we can challenge for the top five. But, of course, one step at the time." Leicester have qualified for Europe three times, most recently as the 2000 League Cup winners. They went out of the 2000-01 Uefa Cup in the first round, losing 4-2 on aggregate to Red Star Belgrade of Serbia. Srivaddhanaprabha's consortium took over at Leicester in 2010. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Something to worry about or just another QPR?
****ing hell, King Power duty free must be doing ok. Another Thaksin maybe? Mind someone has just wiped out over 5 million quid, as 10billion baht, is over 185 million quid..
Certainly an odd one. I go to Leicester a lot, probably being my closest club and having a lot I friends who support the foxes. They have been a club, in the last few years, who bring in players quickly then boot out those who don't make an impact within the first few months, high turnover. Chairmen who say they has major funds get ripped off big time in the transfer market, and I'll take more than 180 million to make the top 5.
I'll believe it when I see it. Interesting that he's saying will splash the cash, but not straight away. If they've got £180m to spend then see if they want Graham for £20m?
Football clubs have become a craze, a fashion accessory, the latest must have. The novelty will wear off soon enough.
I was talking to Joe Kinnear last week about Leicester's chairman and he is still trying to pronounce his name( he calls him Vic now) ! Seriously though, he means business and so should we.
He's going to spend 180 million in one summer to try and break the Top 5 first season? This will end in tears for them.
They don't appear to be the next Swansea/Southampton type team do they? Looking at the way they've gone about promotion over the past few years, it looks like they might go about this the wrong way unless they've got somebody giving them better advice than the likes of Fernandes had/has at QPR. Sad to see two teams (Leicester less so but QPR are awful for it) completely obsessed with spending coming up to the Premier League so I'm going to be right behind Derby and McClaren in the play-off final.
Hmmmmm. I have a soft spot for Leicester as my uncle supports them. I think this guy is a little bonkers
We spent 80 million not too long ago when we came up. And look where that got us, money helps but it doesn't always buy success.
Well we spent a lot don't get me wrong but we spent nothing like QPR and if they do Leicester. They can throe money round, pay high fees and big wages, at the end of the day the simply can't attract the players need to break that top 5. Even if they attract players with the ability, like QPR, they don't have the head for it or they would be there in the first place. Destined to fail if they take that root imo
I don`t mind Leics tbh. Decent club, rather nice to see them fight their way back. Big mistake though to think they can buy their way straight to the top.
Won't get top 5 with 180m certainly not within 3 years. Pearson gone before the end of the season and Leicester to be relegated the season after financially crippled
Funny as **** this story.. I know first hand that he is taking Thai kids from the Bangkok academy over to England on trail...Trying to make a quick buck.
Sounds like Cardiff City all over again. Interesting, that a lot of big money has started to come in from the Far East, particularly the Tiger Economies -and it's also a big expanding market for the Premier League, I don't see an end to the madness any time soon.
